Why wait?
With the arrival of the college basketball season, bettors no longer have to wait for the weekend for a host of wagering options.
Take Villanova’s schedule, for example. The No. 12 Wildcats have played four games in a one-week span. On Tuesday, Nova beat Hartford 87-53 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. Wednesday’s game with St. Joe’s has been postponed, but the Wildcats will face No. 17 Texas on Sunday.
And Villanova is far from alone in its busy schedule. The last several days have been a bonanza for college basketball betting.
“Bubbleville” at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut has been hosting a plethora of games. The Maui Invitational will hold the finals of its eight-team tournament Wednesday when North Carolina faces Texas. Other preseason tournaments have provided similar action.
Pennsylvania sportsbooks have ramped up their action as well. FanDuel is offering parlay insurance up to $25 on college basketball wagers with five+ legs. If you meet the minimum odds and hit all but one leg of the parlay, you can receive up to $25 back in site credit through Dec. 31.
And over at DraftKings, new users can get 100-1 odds on either No. 1 Gonzaga or No. 2 Baylor in their big showdown Saturday.
So there’s a lot of hoops action awaiting us all this week. Let’s take a look at some of the games and teams to watch, along with all the available odds at our region’s sportsbooks.
West Virginia is a single-digit underdog against No. 1 Gonzaga Wednesday
Regional power West Virginia (3-0) looks to stay unbeaten in a game against No. 1 Gonzaga on Wednesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indiana. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. on ESPN. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Mountaineers as a 7.5-point underdog with a moneyline price of +310. Gonzaga is -390 on the moneyline. The game’s total is listed at 153.5.
Pitt returns to the court Saturday against Northern Illinois
Pitt had a disappointing start to the season with a home loss to St. Francis (PA). The Panthers rebounded with an 83-74 win over Drexel and will now host Northern Illinois at 7 p.m. Saturday night on ACCNX. Pricing for that game should be available soon.
Villanova travels to Texas on Sunday
Villanova hits the road for a formidable test Sunday against the Texas Longhorns, who have started the season with a perfect 3-0 so far. Texas defeated Indiana 66-44 on Tuesday, holding the Hoosiers to their lowest offensive output in 10 years. With a win on Sunday, the Wildcats could move back into the top 10 in college basketball’s rankings.
Betting lines for Villanova’s game and other college basketball action will be updated throughout the week at the region’s sportsbooks.
More basketball to arrive soon, NBA training camps open, Christmas Day schedule released
In case the college basketball overload isn’t enough, the NBA season is only three weeks away. Training camps have opened, and the regular season will start on Dec. 22.
Yesterday, the league unveiled its Christmas Day schedule, which is headlined by a game featuring LeBron James and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers vs. Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
In futures betting, the Philadelphia 76ers are +2500 to win the next NBA title and +900 to capture the Eastern Conference. The Sixers’ team win percentage (this season’s version of a win total given the potential for COVID-19 cancellations) is set at 59.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Odds are available on the rest of the NBA as well.
So in a few more weeks, the NBA season will arrive, and basketball betting options will expand even further.
But there’s already a lot happening right now.
So why wait?
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